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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The Church of Jesus Christ increases international relief to 12 ‘high-need' countries with $63.4 million donation
At a gathering of representatives from global humanitarian organizations in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson announced The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be donating another $63.4 million to expand the Global Initiative to Improve the Well-being of Women and Children — a uniquely collaborative effort across multiple organizations to lift women and children in especially poor parts of the world. The expanded funding aims to 'continue this great work to improve the well-being of women and children in the world,' President Johnson said. 'Together, we look forward to brighter futures for these women and children as we collaborate collectively in lifting and serving and blessing their lives.' This adds to a $55.8 million donation in 2024 to a collaboration of eight globally recognized nonprofits. Those organizations include CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, Helen Keller International, International Development Enterprises, MAP International (Medicine For All People), Save the Children, The Hunger Project and Vitamin Angels. 'There are only some things that a church can do,' said Sharon Eubank, director of Humanitarian Services, Welfare and Self-Reliance Services. 'And we need other partners to be able to bring their expertise — working with governments, helping in cultures where we don't have experience.' Blaine Maxfield, managing director of Welfare and Self-Reliance Services, said there is 'an unprecedented need now, more than ever, to provide relief to those that are in need all over the world.' He suggested this united effort could represent 'a model that can be transferred to other groups in this time of need.' The additional funding will allow the church and the eight organizations to continue working together in 12 especially 'high-need' countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Zambia. The primary target within each of those countries is women and children, who are so often at most risk of malnourishment, disease and other dangers. This initiative combines efforts to improve child nutrition, maternal and newborn care, health care access including immunization that seeks to prevent deadly infectious diseases, mobility and disability support, and life-long learning and family education. 'Any student of the New Testament knows that Jesus broke a lot of cultural traditions and reached out to women in a way that they haven't been reached out to before,' said Eubank during a panel discussion. 'Women are the cornerstones of society,' said Abena Amedormey, Ghana country representative for Catholic Relief Services. But along with children, she noted that women are 'the most vulnerable in the communities,' who also 'hold the highest potential for growth and development of the society.' 'Therefore every support that there is that can be given to women, we know there will be rippling effects across the society ... when you support a woman, you support a nation.' Lizz Welch, CEO of iDE, said 'we have seen through our work time and time again, when you can help women to increase their incomes and the production of food for their families, they reinvest at much higher rates within their community.' She said iDE is working to expand 'local production of food and diverse, nutritious foods that families can consume within their household.' When gardening improvements go well, families can then sell extra food in the market and bring that income back to reinvest in their families and communities. Starting with this small investment in local gardens, Welch described the 'ecosystems of opportunities' that can result, allowing 'families to thrive in ways that they couldn't before.' The church has membership in 170 countries and does humanitarian work in almost 200 countries every year, Eubank said. 'Politics in lots of those nations are going to go up and down,' she noted. 'But the church's mission doesn't really change very much. ... We're going to take care of people that are vulnerable.' President Johnson told the Deseret News, 'I'm so grateful to be part of a church that, in a season of bounty and prosperity, is willing to commit its resources to the most vulnerable.' That includes donations in places where the church has few members, she explained — such as a significant investment in Nepal, with only 200 members in the country. 'Why?' she asked. 'Because those are Heavenly Father's children that need care and attention.' Ana Céspedes, CEO of Vitamin Angels, described how a simple increase for children in vitamin A — even just a 'drop in their mouth twice a year' — can reduce premature death by 25%, while also preventing 'night blindness.' After noting that 45% of deaths in kids are due to malnutrition and 1.2 billion women in the world today 'don't have the access to the right nutrients,' Céspedes emphasized the importance of finding ways to 'catch child malnutrition early.' Starting with the first 1000 days of life (0 to 3 years old), she expressed hope these combined efforts can make a significant difference on both 'child's nutrition rates and ultimately, child survival.' Since the project launched, it has exceeded the expectations initially set. For instance, while project leaders originally aimed for 12 million children and mothers receiving vitamins, they reported this week being able to reach 21.2 million children and mothers with vitamin supplementation. In addition: Screenings for malnutrition were conducted with 1.87 million children, with treatment provided if necessary. To track clinical cases of malnutrition and provide treatment, 125 health facilities were also trained. Training in nutrition best practices was provided for 1.6 million mothers. More than 141,000 families also received seeds and training, many of whom now have home gardens with more nutrient-dense foods. Training in improved hygiene behaviors was given to 41,000 people — with an estimated 6,800 benefiting from improved water and sanitation facilities. Training in maternal and newborn care, child nutrition, breastfeeding and vitamin administration was provided for 17,000 government health workers. And 159 newborns were resuscitated at birth, while 219,000 pregnant mothers received prenatal care. Over and over, leaders emphasized the collaborative nature of the project itself as the secret behind its success. For instance, Sarah Bouchie, CEO of Helen Keller International, highlighted the 'opportunity to be able to learn from each other's skill sets, improve consistently in the way that we approach our work, and continue that ripple effect by sharing the things that we know.' This kind of collaborative learning together, Amedormey said, 'has been a wonderful approach to reach a lot more women and children.' Welch likewise called this approach an 'incredible multiplier effect' to improve the well-being of families wherever they were working. Once families increase the food they're producing and associated income (through the efforts of one organization), she explained, that benefit is then paired with partner efforts to improve the micronutrients the families are getting, along with improved education about breastfeeding and many other ways to strengthen families. 'We're really seeing one plus one equal three or five or eight,' President Johnson told Deseret News. 'Those dollars are going further with the collaboration, because people are bringing their strengths, they're bringing their resources, they're bringing their best contacts, they're bringing their experiences, both good and bad, to the table and saying, 'What can we do to improve upon what we've learned?'' Bishop L. Todd Budge, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, acknowledged that no one anticipated the current funding challenges in the world when the project was envisioned. At a time when organizations everywhere are having to be more cost-effective, he shared a sense among nonprofit leaders that 'we have to do more with less because of the situation.' Bishop Budge reflected, 'This is perhaps a framework that can be applied with other organizations to really get the synergies from collaboration.' At a time of greater estrangement across societies, Bouchie went on to describe the added benefit of 'shared values' that all members of the collaboration bring — 'a vision for a future together where every child, every woman, should have the right to a proper nutrition to live a healthy life.' 'Obviously the church is doing this out of a faith mission,' Eubank told Deseret News. 'We're trying we care for God and we care for his children all over the world.' But whether people have 'any kind of a faith or no faith at all,' she added, people can come together and 'still get behind women and children' — especially the crucial needs that happen early on in a child's life. 'It's pretty galvanizing to look at the first five years of a child's life,' Eubank said, 'and know that if they don't get enough nutrition, their cognitive ability is forever stunted, and I can get behind that anytime.' To outside observers, Bouchie acknowledged that the solution to all these problems can appear deceptively simple. 'It seems like something easy, right? You have a child who doesn't have enough nutrition, give them nutrition. It doesn't seem that complicated.' But the problem, she went on to explain, is that 'if you only treat those things, you're constantly treating the symptom.' How do we really get at the underlying factors contributing to hunger, she emphasized — finding better ways to increase self-reliance and sustainability? 'If you don't build the whole ecosystem, you don't really get at these complex factors that lead to malnutrition itself,' said Bouchie. 'It isn't an easy fix,' Eubank agreed. 'Because you can make sure that that baby has all the nutrition in the world, and then they die of diarrhea or something.' There are 'so many factors that add up to that child living and thriving when they're 5 years old,' she added. That explains why 'the only way we thought we could do that is through this new way of collaborating.' 'When systems are strengthened' through collaborative efforts, Amedormey said, 'you have not just one impact per family, but also you're able to impact the society.' President Johnson returned this week from Nepal — describing firsthand 'what happens when these groups come together with a common objective … working so beautifully together in rhythm.' First, she described seeing pregnant women getting vitamins needed for prenatal care. Once those children came into this world, these mothers were then supported to prioritize breastfeeding — contrary to cultural practices where children are immediately separated from mothers, missing the early initiation of crucial skin-to-skin contact and nourishment. President Johnson then described seeing parents being taught in community groups about the kinds of food that they could prepare for their children using local resources. (Young children who were malnourished also received immediate care through therapeutic foods and fortified cereals.) President Johnson described meeting a woman who had been assisted to start a small chicken farm. 'Every day those chickens lay eggs, she has a protein source for everyone that lives in her family unit,' she reported, with excess 'stacks of eggs' then taken to the market to sell. 'That gives her an opportunity to raise the standard of living for herself and for her children — that reinvestment that we're hoping for so that we lift not just women and children, but families and communities and nations.' At the close of the event, President Johnson shared her hope with Deseret News that those reading these stories would be inspired, first of all, 'to look around and identify the needs closest to them.' 'Sometimes, I think we believe we have to do something grand that warrants this splash in the news. But I know that there are malnourished children in our community. There are children and mothers who can't read well. ... 'My invitation is look around you first,' she said, referencing the 'mandate from the Savior' in Matthew 25, where Jesus Christ 'describes those that will be on his right hand as those who saw the hungry and those who saw the thirsty and gave them something to drink.' 'I want to be counted amongst those on the right hand,' she said with emotion. 'There's opportunities for all of us.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lost aid abroad, prayers at home: Federal cuts gut Baltimore relief groups
Bill O'Keefe remembers taking board members to see a Catholic Relief Services program in northern Kenya that had helped provide a source of water during a multi-year drought. Having access to clean water meant that unlike other villages, a woman told them, they lost no children during the drought. 'It made me feel good, of course, to be associated with the project that was where children weren't dying,' said O'Keefe, an executive vice president of the relief group. 'But [now] they're going to die, because the project isn't going to continue, and it's not going to be able to expand to those other villages. 'So a part of my heart is buried in northern Kenya,' he said, 'and it just makes me sad to think about it.' In Baltimore, home to the headquarters of CRS, Lutheran World Relief and other global humanitarian groups, the Trump administration's slashing of foreign aid programs has been particularly devastating. Still reeling from the dismantling earlier this year of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had funded much of their work including in Kenya, the groups learned more recently that tens of millions of dollars more would be cut — this time to programs that feed children and help farmers in developing countries. Faith-based groups said they've had to lay off staff in Baltimore, and are bracing for even more funding losses as Trump's proposed budget makes its way through Congress. Maryland fiscal analysts have estimated the state could lose more than $400 million, including funds that go toward low-income housing and energy assistance, if the budget is approved. A U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesperson said in an email that 'President Trump is putting America First, and at USDA we are ensuring our programs align with the president's agenda to make America safer, stronger and more prosperous.' The agency did not respond to a question about the criteria used to determine which of the current grants were cut or kept. Amid the blows to Baltimore's good-works community, Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori will offer a Mass later this month to thank three Catholic groups that have suffered government cutbacks, uncertainty over future funding or both. 'I wanted to lift up the good work Catholic Charities and CRS and St. Vincent de Paul are doing,' Lori said, 'to celebrate the good work and the good people who carry forth the mission and the great impact they have on the vulnerable. 'They will continue to do this despite the budgetary cuts that are coming from Washington and the budgetary limitations that are potentially afoot in the state of Maryland,' he said. Bill McCarthy, executive director of Catholic Charities, said the 'Mass for the Preservation of Peace and Justice' should provide a needed morale boost. It will be held on June 11 at 7:30 pm at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, and will be followed by a dessert reception. 'The work is very hard, particularly in this environment, and you get a little down,' said McCarthy, who will be retiring July 1. 'You can feel lost or unsupported.' McCarthy, who has headed the state's largest private provider of human services for 16 years, said the group lost $2 million in immigrant services funding earlier this year and had to lay of 10 staff members, half of the group that worked in that area. With Trump's budget calling for cuts in programs like Medicaid, Catholic Charities is bracing for the ripple effects of people potentially losing health coverage. 'It's all interconnected,' McCarthy said. When people lose benefits in one area, such as health care or housing, they then tend to need help in other areas as well, such as the food banks and mental health services that Catholic Charities provides. With so many humanitarian groups based in Baltimore, McCarthy said, at least there's kinship. 'There's a sense of solidarity in the community,' he said. Catholic Relief lost 11 of 13 grants to feed schoolchildren in impoverished countries as a result of cutbacks to the USDA's McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program. Both CRS and the Lutheran group lost funding in a second USDA program, Food for Progress, which helps farmers increase their yields and improve their crop sales. The total amount of terminated grants is hard to calculate, CRS officials said, given that they generally extend over several years, so some of the money has already been spent. But it is sizeable: In fiscal 2024, for example, CRS received $27.5 million to feed schoolchildren in Guinea Bissau in West African. In previous years, it has received similar amounts for programs in countries including Burundi, Guatemala, Lesotho, Madagascar, Laos, Togo and Sierra Leone. Lutheran World Relief confirmed that it lost a Food for Progress grant for Tanzania but declined to comment further. According to the USDA website, the group had been awarded just over $35 million in fiscal 2024 to address food insecurity and help transform Tanzania's poultry system from subsistence to commercial. A Lutheran World Relief spokeswoman said two other programs were also cut, including one in Central America that was slated to conclude this year. Catholic Relief lost three Food for Progress grants, in Haiti, Uganda and Madagascar, O'Keefe said. The USDA spokesperson said the agency had done a 'thorough review' of both programs, leading to the termination of 17 McGovern-Dole and 27 Food for Progress grants 'that are not in alignment with the foreign assistance objectives of the Trump administration.' The agency kept 30 McGovern-Dole and 14 Food for Progress programs, totaling more than $1 billion in funding, the spokesperson said. While the USDA is taking applications for fiscal 2025 funding for the two programs, Trump's proposed budget eliminates both. As with other federal cuts, recipients said they did not get much explanation for why their grants were terminated, or much time to wind down the work. CRS said the McGovern-Dole cuts would deprive about 780,000 kids in 11 countries of what can be their only reliable meal each day. The program, named in honor of the former U.S. senators who worked to eradicate childhood hunger, helps improve school attendance, academic performance and the children's health and capacity to learn, according to the USDA, which in fiscal 2024 committed $248 million to the program. Both USDA foreign food programs assist U.S. farmers as well, the agency said, with each buying hundreds of millions of dollars of their grains, beans, oils and other commodities for shipment to the recipient countries. CRS said it's had to layoff thousands of staff around the world, but did not know how many were based in the group's Baltimore headquarters. Other charitable groups that work locally said they could be affected by proposed federal cuts to programs such as Medicaid and housing assistance. 'Right now, we are just holding our breath,' said John Schiavone, president and CEO of St. Vincent de Paul. 'It's wait-and-see for us.' Schiavone, who estimates the group gets about 60% of its funding from the federal government, said his group went through 'a lot of chaos and concern' this spring when funds were frozen, such as those supporting homeless shelters that it operates, and now is anxiously awaiting the outcome of Trump's budgetary proposals. Lori said the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops continues to advocate to Trump that he maintain funding for the humanitarian groups. Lori, who serves as the vice president of the bishops' group, said the Baltimore archdiocese also is seeking to help the helpers who are or will be out of work as a result of federal cuts. 'Anytime people lose gainful employment, it is of course a great concern to me,' Lori said. 'It is particularly painful when it is people doing humanitarian work.' The groups say the sudden way that cuts have landed, and the uncertainty of what's still to come have made for what O'Keefe calls a 'painful and difficult' several months — even for a group that is used to being buffeted by national and international events. 'We've made it through economic crises and faced the challenges of adjusting to a post-9/11 world,' said O'Keefe, who has been with CRS since 1987. 'But this is like an asteroid hitting the planet without any warning,' he said. 'So it's been a huge adjustment. The sudden and unplanned nature of this has made the impact on those we serve even more severe.' Have a news tip? Contact Jean Marbella at jmarbella@ 410-332-6060, or @
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Baltimore Catholic charity violated gay man's rights by not paying spousal benefits, court rules
A federal judge in Baltimore has decreed that Catholic Relief Services must pay $60,000 to a gay, married information technology employee after it refused to continue providing health care benefits to his husband. The judge said the charitable organization had violated Maryland's antidiscrimination law. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. U.S. District Judge Julie Rubin found last week that the Catholic agency's decision not to provide coverage to Doe's spouse directly violated the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act. Rubin agreed the group did not qualify for a religious exemption because the employee's activities were not directly tied to its religious activities. 'I'm very happy with Judge Rubin's ruling and am honored to be part of such a precedent-setting case that has helped clarify, for employers and employees alike, the legal protections Maryland law provides, especially for LGBTQ+ workers,' the employee, identified only as "John Doe," said in a press release from the law firm representing him, Brown, Goldstein, and Levy. 'I truly hope that CRS will see this ruling as an opportunity to promote the human dignity of employees in same-sex marriages by providing them the same opportunities and benefits granted to their straight counterparts.' RELATED: Insurer illegally discriminated against trans teens The employee was identified for employment by a CRS recruiter in mid-2016, according to court documents. Doe traveled to Baltimore to interview for the position, which would focus solely on the IT side of CRS activities and would not be involved with the charitable functions of the organization. Doe specifically inquired about the benefits packages offered by CRS. The eligibility provision of CRS's Group Insurance Plan stated that 'dependent[s]' are covered, and the Plan defined '[d]ependent' as 'wife or husband; children to age 26; regardless of student status,' according to Doe's lawsuit. During a follow-up conversation via telephone initiated by the recruiter, Doe inquired further about health care and benefits and whether his husband would also be covered. The pair are in a legal marriage. 'The recruiter responded, 'All dependents are covered.'' Doe accepted the offer and relocated his family to Baltimore. He received a package from Aetna shortly after he started working at Catholic Relief Services. The package specifically noted that his spouse was eligible for health benefits. Multiple representatives from CRS also confirmed his spouse's eligibility during the onboarding process. RELATED: Judge approves settlement in landmark LGBTQ+ fertility case The couple received insurance cards, and both men sought medical attention during the following 16 months, which was covered without issue by Aetna. All that changed in 2017 when CRS informed Doe that his husband had been improperly provided health care and other spousal benefits, and that it would cease all coverage beginning on October 1 of the same year. Doe appealed the decision but was told by one senior official that some people within the organization wanted him fired and advised him not to press the issue. The official was more threatening in a later meeting. 'During the meeting, the senior CRS official clarified that, if Mr. Doe were to pursue legal action, he would most likely be terminated,' Doe claimed in the lawsuit. 'CRS's retaliatory actions were malicious, intentional, and repeated,' Rubin wrote in her ruling. RELATED: Ohio Supreme Court hears LGBTQ+ parental rights case Doe was represented by Anthony May, Eve Hill, and Lauren DiMartino of Brown, Goldstein, and Levy along with co-counsel from Gilbert Employment Law. 'The court thoughtfully weighed all of the circumstances and correctly concluded that while [Mr. Doe] was dedicated to assisting CRS provide humanitarian relief to vulnerable individuals around the world, his specific job duties did not permit CRS to compensate him lesser than his colleagues merely because of who he loves,' Anthony said in the press release. CRS officials said they were reviewing their options, including an appeal of the decision.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Catholic aid group violated gay employee's rights, judge says, after spouse's health benefits canceled
A Catholic aid organization was ordered Monday to pay $60,000 to a gay former employee after he filed a lawsuit alleging sexual discrimination. The former employee, referred to as "John Doe" in the 2020 complaint, is a gay man in a same-sex marriage. He was hired as a program data analyst for the Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in June 2016. Doe's complaint states that he was told at his hiring that his husband would be covered under his employee health insurance plan. However, in November 2016, CRS informed Doe that same-sex spouses are not eligible for coverage. They said his spouse had been added by mistake and his health insurance coverage would be terminated by the end of the month. Doe negotiated with superiors until October 2017, when his spouse was dropped from the plan. Doe alleges he was threatened with termination for pressing the issue. Supreme Court Appears Likely To Side With Catholic Church And Trump In Key Religious Exemption Case Doe's complaint argued that CRS had discriminated against him based on sex, including sexual orientation, and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act (MFEPA), Maryland Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (MEPEWA), and the Federal Equal Pay Act. Read On The Fox News App Monday's ruling addressed Doe's claims of discrimination under MFEPA. CRS argued that as a religious organization, it falls under the Religious Entity Exemption included in the state anti-discrimination law. In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Julie Rubin cited the Maryland Supreme Court's conclusions that religious organizations are exempt from sexual orientation discrimination MFEPA claims when they are brought by employees who carry out a "core mission" of the organization. Us Conference Of Catholic Bishops Sue Trump Over Immigration, Refugee Funding Freeze Doe worked in five full-time positions during his tenure at CRS, none of which were "explicitly religious" in nature, the ruling says. Judge Rubin determined Doe "did not, in any of his positions, directly further a CRS core mission" and ruled in his favor that CRS violated his rights under MFEPA and must pay him $60,000. The legal victory is the first in Maryland applying the state Supreme Court's test under the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act's religious exemption, Doe's attorneys say. "I'm very happy with Judge Rubin's ruling and am honored to be part of such a precedent-setting case that has helped clarify, for employers and employees alike, the legal protections Maryland law provides, especially for LGBTQ+ workers," Doe said in a statement. "I truly hope that CRS will see this ruling as an opportunity to promote the human dignity of employees in same-sex marriages by providing them the same opportunities and benefits granted to their straight counterparts." Doe received another legal win against the organization in 2022, after U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake ruled in Mr. Doe's favor under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and the Equal Pay Act, The Baltimore Sun reported. Catholic Relief Services did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 'Hysteria': White House Shuts Down Concerns Over Usaid Document Purge CRS is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which serves as the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The group assists "impoverished and disadvantaged people overseas, working in the spirit of Catholic social teaching to promote the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the human person," its website says. According to a report in the National Catholic Reporter, CRS has been forced to shut down programs and lay off staff this year due to President Donald Trump's dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). CRS receives more USAID support than any other NGO, the Associated Press reported, and USAID funded about half of the CRS's $1.2 billion budget in 2023. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 11 that the State Department had concluded a six-week review and would cancel more than 80% of USAID programs. That translates to an elimination of roughly 5,200 of USAID's 6,200 programs. CRS put out a statement in response, urging the Trump administration to reconsider, saying these cuts have threatened "millions of lives" abroad. Fox News' Diana Stancy contributed to this article source: Catholic aid group violated gay employee's rights, judge says, after spouse's health benefits canceled
Fox News
27-04-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Catholic aid group violated gay employee's rights, judge says, after spouse's health benefits canceled
A Catholic aid organization was ordered Monday to pay $60,000 to a gay former employee after he filed a lawsuit alleging sexual discrimination. The former employee, referred to as "John Doe" in the 2020 complaint, is a gay man in a same-sex marriage. He was hired as a program data analyst for the Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in June 2016. Doe's complaint states that he was told at his hiring that his husband would be covered under his employee health insurance plan. However, in November 2016, CRS informed Doe that same-sex spouses are not eligible for coverage. They said his spouse had been added by mistake and his health insurance coverage would be terminated by the end of the month. Doe negotiated with superiors until October 2017, when his spouse was dropped from the plan. Doe alleges he was threatened with termination for pressing the issue. Doe's complaint argued that CRS had discriminated against him based on sex, including sexual orientation, and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act (MFEPA), Maryland Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (MEPEWA), and the Federal Equal Pay Act. Monday's ruling addressed Doe's claims of discrimination under MFEPA. CRS argued that as a religious organization, it falls under the Religious Entity Exemption included in the state anti-discrimination law. In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Julie Rubin cited the Maryland Supreme Court's conclusions that religious organizations are exempt from sexual orientation discrimination MFEPA claims when they are brought by employees who carry out a "core mission" of the organization. Doe worked in five full-time positions during his tenure at CRS, none of which were "explicitly religious" in nature, the ruling says. Judge Rubin determined Doe "did not, in any of his positions, directly further a CRS core mission" and ruled in his favor that CRS violated his rights under MFEPA and must pay him $60,000. The legal victory is the first in Maryland applying the state Supreme Court's test under the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act's religious exemption, Doe's attorneys say. "I'm very happy with Judge Rubin's ruling and am honored to be part of such a precedent-setting case that has helped clarify, for employers and employees alike, the legal protections Maryland law provides, especially for LGBTQ+ workers," Doe said in a statement. "I truly hope that CRS will see this ruling as an opportunity to promote the human dignity of employees in same-sex marriages by providing them the same opportunities and benefits granted to their straight counterparts." Doe received another legal win against the organization in 2022, after U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake ruled in Mr. Doe's favor under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and the Equal Pay Act, The Baltimore Sun reported. Catholic Relief Services did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. CRS is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which serves as the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The group assists "impoverished and disadvantaged people overseas, working in the spirit of Catholic social teaching to promote the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the human person," its website says. According to a report in the National Catholic Reporter, CRS has been forced to shut down programs and lay off staff this year due to President Donald Trump's dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). CRS receives more USAID support than any other NGO, the Associated Press reported, and USAID funded about half of the CRS's $1.2 billion budget in 2023. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 11 that the State Department had concluded a six-week review and would cancel more than 80% of USAID programs. That translates to an elimination of roughly 5,200 of USAID's 6,200 programs. CRS put out a statement in response, urging the Trump administration to reconsider, saying these cuts have threatened "millions of lives" abroad.
